The Worst Things in Life are Free
by RedBlackbird
Summary: Heracles Karpusi must sell himself on the streets to survive. But one night, someone tries to help. Sorry for the sucky summary. Based a bit off of the music video for Ed Sheeran's 'The A Team'. Also deviantART.
1. Too Cold Outside

No one pays for misfortune or homelessness or poverty. The worst things in life are free. There is mostly likely no one who knows this better than Heracles Karpusi.

Heracles woke up on the park bench, sore from the hard wood and the night before; it had been another long one with strange men. It had been the fourth night in a row he'd slept here. Where else was he to go? He had no home, save the bench under the willow he was currently on.

He smiled, though. It was a nice enough day. Maybe he'd manage to get some money today. Who knows? There are usually customers on nice days like these.

Heracles stood up, pulling on the large black jacket he had been using as a blanket. Underneath, he was wearing shorts, a white shirt, and a pair of ankle boots. He combed back his unkept hair with his fingers and looked up. Yes, it was a nice day, for late fall. Definitely customers today, he told himself. Maybe he'd even get two full meals, if he was lucky.

He walked into town for his day job of selling magazines on a street corner. It didn't pay much, but it was something to do all day. It was something to distract from his night job, from his current situation.

Heracles sat outside a shop all day, faking smiles for the people walking by. He only sold a few magazines, so he got very little money. After he had received his money for the day, he walked around the market, looking at all the things he couldn't afford. He loved window shopping; it reminded him of when he and his mother would wander the shops together.

Heracles's vision blurred as he remembered his mother. He quickly exited the market, and headed straight for a nearby street.

He hated it. He hated selling himself to stay alive. But he had to. It was his only option, other than death. But Heracles didn't want to die just yet. So here he was, positioned with his leg displayed out, on the side of a road. This is what he had been reduced to.

After a few hours, he began to lose it. He pulled his jacket around him and feel to his knees on the ground. His body shivered violently with sobs as he cried for his own wretched life, for his situation, for the fact that he was starving and freezing and so tired. So desperately tired, inside and out.

Then light struck his eyes. Heracles looked up quickly, to see a car pulling up near him. He quickly got up and wiped the tears from his eyes. He walked up to the passenger window, not knowing what to expect. The man in the car looked surprisingly...friendly?

"What's a pretty, young thing like you doing out here alone?" The man asked.

"Trying to make a living. It's fifteen dollars an hour." Heracles answered briskly.

The man was confused. "What is?"

"I am."

Now he understood. He thought for a moment. He wanted to do something for this poor boy, because he knew that's what he was: just a boy, hardly matured at all.

"I guess you haven't eaten yet today?" The man asked.

Heracles took a step back from the car door. "Why do you care?" No one had cared for years, why should this man, whom he had just met?

"Because someone like you shouldn't starve, ever." The man answered.

"You don't know me. You shouldn't care." Heracles's reflex to shut people out kicked in. He didn't trust anyone.

The man began to get annoyed. "Look, I'm trying to do a nice thing and feed you. So are you going to get in or what?"

Heracles shifted his weight from heel to heel in what the man thought was a boyish manner. "I don't know you." He said simply.

The man stretched out his hand. "The name's Sadik."

Heracles shook Sadik's hand tentatively. "Heracles," he replied as he opened the door and climbed into the car. During the ride back to the market, Saidik tried to talk to Heracles, but the younger man refused to respond. Finally, they reached a small restaurant, where Sadik ordered a large meal for Heracles. As soon as they sat down, the latter began to wolf the food down. Sadik laughed. Heracles gave him a look.

"Are you going to talk now?" Sadik asked after Heracles was done eating. Heracles just looked down at his plate.

"How old are you, kid?"

"I'm nineteen." Heracles admitted.

Sadik was astonished. How did a boy this young get so low?

"Ran away from home?" Sadik guessed.

"No," Heracles answered quietly. "I don't want to talk about it."

Sadik nodded. He took a napkin and wrote down his address and phone number. "If you ever need help, you come to me first, got it?" It sounded more like a command than a question, but Sadik just wanted to protect this kid, any way he could.

Heracles nodded, picked up the napkin and clutched it to his chest like it was a life line. It very nearly was.

Tears blurred Heracles's vision as he looked up at Sadik. "Thank you," he whispered. Buying him food, giving him a place to call for help, was the most anyone had done for him in a long time.

Sadik stood up and placed some bills on the table to pay for the food. He then walked over to Heracles and kissed his forehead, simultaneously slipping a few more bills into Heracles's jacket pocket.

"Take care of yourself, kid." Sadik said as he walked away. Heracles just nodded to himself. He carefully wiped his tears and looked down at the napkin still held in his hands. The corners of his mouth twitched up a bit, and he had the faint sense that is was going to be alright now.


	2. Savior

**AN: Thank you guys so much for the follows and the review! It means so much to me! Anyways, here is the next chapter, my lovely doves~ (If I can call you guys that.)**

Heracles ran down the dark, dank street, miscellaneous pebbles cutting into his feet.

It wasn't supposed to be like this, it shouldn't have happened.

He kept running, ignoring the pain from the pebbles and his blossoming bruises. He ran, trying to block out the last half hour.

His last 'customer' of his late-night job had turned violent, hitting Heracles until the latter was nearly unconscious. He had somehow managed to escape, and now he had to find a phone.

Finally, he found a pay phone. He quickly pulled out a quarter from his pocket, slipped it into the slot. He hurriedly pulled out a napkin, and dialed the number on it, holding the phone tightly.

Ring...ring...

"Hello?"

"S-Sadik, it's me, Heracles. I...I need your help." Heracles said shakily.

"Heracles? What is it, what's wrong?" Sadik asked. He didn't want anything to happen to a young boy like Heracles.

"I...I just need to be picked up. That's all. Y-you said you would help me, right?"

"Of course I will. Where are you?" Sadik asked as he grabbed his keys and left his house.

Heracles looked around. He gave Sadik the name of the street he was on. Then he hung up, not wanting Sadik to question his position. He sat on the ground next to the pay phone, looking up at what stars he could see. Hurry, he thought. Please, hurry. Heracles slipped off to sleep.

Ten minutes later, Sadik pulled up to curb in front of Heracles. Ran out of the car and kneeled in front of the younger boy.

"Heracles? Wake up, please," he pleaded, checking Heracles's pulse and gently running a hand through his hair. Heracles's eyes opened for a moment before closing again. He murmured something, but it was too quiet for Sadik to hear. He ran back to the car and opened the front passenger door. Then he ran back to Heracles, picking him up and carrying him bridal-style to the car, setting him down gently and buckling him in.

"S-Sadik?" Heracles whispered, trying to move. "What...?"

Sadik placed his hands gently on Heracles's shoulders. "I'm going to take you to my house, okay? I'm not letting anything hurt you again, got it?" he said. Heracles nodded, and leaned back in his seat. Sadik closed the door and walked quickly over to the drivers door, hopping in and keeping hold of Heracles's hand while he was driving, checking his pulse and making sure he lived.

When they got to Sadik's house, Heracles was awake, and still not talking. Sadik got out of the car and opened the door for Heracles, extending his hand to help him out. Heracles took Sadik's hand and held onto it tightly, shakily getting out of the car.

"Can you walk?" Sadik asked. Heracles nodded, and took a few steps. Sadik noticed the black and blue bruises on Heracles's weak legs, and the cut that caused the red streaks. "Heracles...what happened?"

Heracles shook his head. "Nothing...nothing happened." Heracles tried to take another step, but almost fell. Sadik caught him right before he hit the asphalt of the driveway. Sadik helped Heracles up and wrapped a protective arm around his waist. They walked  
together into the house.

Once inside, Sadik deposited Heracles on the couch. He knelt down in front of the black and blue boy. "Will you please tell me, Hera?"

Heracles looked up at him quickly. He instinctively shut Sadik out. "Don't call me that. And I'm not telling you. It's none of your business." He said.

Sadik sighed impatiently. "Fine, don't tell me. Just wait here." Sadik stood up and walked away. Heracles sat on the couch alone, hugging his elbows to his stomach, shivering. In his hurry to escape his abusive 'customer' he had forgotten his jacket. He also shivered with hunger and fear.

After few minutes, Sadik came back with a blanket, a pillow, some antiseptic and some bandages. He spread the blanket around Heracles's shoulders, and placed the pillow beside him. Then he sat back down in front of Heracles and began to disinfect and bandage up his leg.

"Do you want to tell me how you got this now?" Sadik asked after he was done, looking up expectantly at Heracles.

Heracles pulled the blanket tighter around himself and looked down at his lap. "No," be whispered.

Sadik stood up. "Well, you can spend the night here, if you want. There's an empty bedroom down the hall, but I doubt you'd make it there." With that, he walked away.

Heracles sat there for a good part of the night silently crying, and eventually fell asleep.


	3. Welcome Home

Heracles woke up suddenly, a cold jolt making him jump into a sitting position. It had been yet another nightmare. Nightmares were not unusual for him, but they always managed to frighten him. Heracles looked around, and realized his surroundings were different that usual. He sat on the couch for a minute, trying to recall exactly how he'd gotten here. His breathing steadied as he remembered Sadik carrying him into the house, remembered how safe he'd felt. But for how long would he stay safe? Surely Sadik would have a limit on his hospitality? Everyone Heracles had known in the past two years certainly had.

Heracles sat, watching the soft blue of dawn turn into a sweet yellow glow as he wondered exactly what he'd do after Sadik kicked him out. He certainly couldn't gain any money at night with his injured leg, but without that money, he'd starve. Heracles's eyes gathered with tears, thinking about how badly he needed to do such a horrible thing every night to stay alive.

"Heracles? You all right?" Sadik asked softly from where he stood by the hallway. Like you could ask anything stupider! he scolded himself. Of course the kid's not alright, just look at him!

Heracles nodded quickly, wiping the tears from his eyes. "I...should probably go," he said quietly, and attempted to stand up. He only succeeded in making a sharp jolt of pain run up his leg. He bit his lip to keep from crying out. Sadik walked over and carefully sat him back down.

"What did I say last night?" Sadik began, pulling the fallen blanket back around Heracles's shoulders. "I said I wouldn't let anything but you again, right? Do you expect me to shove you back onto the street in your condition?"

"Yes," Heracles whispered, looking up at Sadik. "Everyone puts me back on the street, no matter what condition I'm in." Heracles reported truthfully.

"I'll make sure no one ever does that again. From now on, you're going to live here with me, because like hell am I going to let you be the prey of every sicko on the street." Sadik said. "Now, are you hungry, or am I eating by myself?"

Heracles couldn't say anything for a moment. He had a home now. He hasn't had a place to call home in over two years. "I...I guess I could eat," Heracles said finally. Sadik gave a small smile and went into the kitchen.

Heracles smiled just the tiniest bit. Home. Now, that was something he could get used to.

* * *

**AN: So, so sorry I made you guys wait so long, and have the chapter be so short ;-; But there's a four day weekend coming up, so I'll try to be more productive. Till next time, lovely doves~**


	4. Outside

Heracles watched the rain intently from the windowsill, willing the water to stop. Sadik had promised to finally take him outside, to the market to shop, once it stopped raining. Heracles had had to rest for a few days for his leg wound to heal and bruises to fade, and therefore was not allowed to leave the house or even walk, and as a result Sadik would carry him if he wanted to move about. Heracles would never admit it, but he loved how safe he felt in Sadik's strong, reassuring arms. Hell, Heracles felt safe even being around Sadik, and on top of that, he'd gotten Heracles to smile and laugh around a person for the first time in years.

"Sadik, it's stopped!" Heracles called out to his housemate. He stood up a bit shakily and pulled on the jacket he had borrowed from Sadik, which had been placed next to him. Sadik had even let Heracles borrow his clothes, seeing as the younger boy had only one outfit.  
Before Sadik could even move, Heracles was shoving another jacket into his arms, pulling him to his feet. Sadik laughed.

"I see someone's excited," he said.

"Of course I am," Heracles replied, swinging open the door. He gave a small smile to the clear blue sky. He turned back to Sadik. "It's nice outside today. Perfect day for shopping."

Sadik couldn't help but smile at Heracles's enthusiasm. The kid could definitely bounce back, that much was clear.

The whole walk to the market, Heracles chatted about the things he'd like to buy when had enough money, and then began talking about jobs he'd had when he was younger, carefully avoiding the past two years. Finally, he asked Sadik about his job.

"Me, I'm a cop." Sadik answered. Heracles stopped walking. Sadik stopped a few steps ahead, and looked back. "What's wrong?"

"Are you going to arrest me?" Heracles asked quietly.

"Why would I do that?"

"You know what I used to do," Heracles replied. "It's illegal, how I used to live. Are you going to arrest me for it?"

Sadik turned forward and kept walking. "Of course not. The last thing a kid like you needs is a trip to the slammer."

After a moment, Heracles ran after him, walking in silence the rest of the way to the market. He did, however, wrap his arm around Sadik's.

Once at the market, Heracles could hardly contain his joy. He loved the market, and always had, no matter how many memories were kept here. Or maybe it was because of that.

They had originally come with a list, but that had been abandoned as soon as they had come across the more expensive shops, and Heracles dragged Sadik around, window shopping.

"Sadik, look at this!" He exclaimed, pointing at a sparkly piece of jewelry. "My mother would have loved this. She loved pretty things." Heracles calmed at this point. He had a look of melancholy on his face, as I if he was proud to remember this, but saddened by it at the same time.

"Where is your mother, kid?" Sadik asked softly. He's asked before, but each time Heracles had not answered.

"Not here. Somewhere else. Other people don't have to hear." Heracles replied, still fixate on the jewelry. Sadik took his hand, pulling him towards the park.

Heracles would not sit at just any bench at the park, he wanted his bench, the one he had basically lived on. Once he found it, he sat down and watched the clouds pass.

"Mitera was a strong woman," Heracles began. "She took care of me by herself, even after my father died. She liked to say that she had inherited an ancestor's warrior heart." Heracles smiled briefly.

"But one day, she got so incredibly sick. Eventually she couldn't work anymore, and I had to work for the both of us. We couldn't afford a doctor or any medical bills that might come up, so there was nothing we could do. " Heracles's eyes began to shine with tears. His voice began to hitch up as he spoke.

"And, one day...she got so sick...she couldn't even wake up. Mitera had suffered for so long, I was almost happy she was gone. Because then she wouldn't suffer anymore." Now the tears began to fall.

"Oh, Heracles...I'm sorry," Sadik said lamely. What more could he do?

Heracles wiped his eyes and sniffed. "It doesn't matter anymore. Mitera was in so much pain. At least she won't be anymore." He turned to Sadik and smiled gently. She's better now."

Sadik couldn't take it anymore. He pulled Heracles into. A hug, and the younger boy didn't hesitate to hug back. He cried harder.

"Shhh, Heracles. It's...it's going to be okay now, I promise." Sadik said. Heracles just nodded. He knew that already.

* * *

**AN: Hey, at least I did something productive, if not progressive.**


	5. Security

After that day, Heracles began to have night terrors again. He had had them frequently after his mother's death, and reliving it had brought them back. To keep them from coming, Heracles slept with Sadik in his bed, though he was embarrassed by it. Sadik didn't mind, in fact, he rather liked it, being so close to Heracles. Not that he was attracted to him, but he did enjoy the kid's bubbly, endearing attitude, which did not surface as much as he would have liked. But he couldn't spend the rest of his days just being around Heracles.

"Please, don't leave me," Heracles begged the morning Sadik had to go back to work. He tugged on the older man's sleeve, blanket around his shoulders and sleep in his eyes.

"Heracles, I'm sorry, but I have to go," Sadik replied. He turned around, and gave Heracles a quick kiss on the forehead, which made the younger man's face turn bright red. "I'll be back by evening, okay? Stay out of trouble, alright?" Sadik slipped out of Heracles's hold and left.

Heracles stood there for another minute, pulling the blanket tighter around his shoulders. What was he to do now? He couldn't remember the last time he was home alone, with nothing to do. He decided to leave, getting dressed and stealing a house key. He didn't want to be in an empty house for another second. So he decided to visit his mother.

When he got to the cemetery, he realized he had memorized the layout of it. Of course he had, for a whole year he'd come here, once or twice spent the night. He almost immediately found the gravestone that belonged to Athena Karpusi.

Carefully, Heracles kneeled down in front of his mother's grave. "I came back, Mitera. Your Hera is back," he said, smiling slightly.

"It's been a while, hasn't it? I'm sorry, I've been...busy." He sighed, and his smile fell. "You'd be so disappointed if you knew what I've been doing. It makes me feel like a horrible, disgusting person, but it's going to get better now." Now his smile returned.

"He's the kindest person I've met since you left," Heracles informed the stone in front of him. "He let me stay with him, can you believe that? He's letting me live with him. I think you would've liked him, Mitera." He gave a small laugh. "What would you think, your Hera staying with a man I've only known for a week?"

Heracles sighed. What would his mother think? The past two years had been a blur of pain and tears and sinking to low levels in order to live. He'd been so, so alone. Until Sadik had saved him.

"You'd like him, Mitera," Heracles concluded. "You'd like the man who saved your son."

Just then, it started to drizzle. Heracles got up from his mother's grave and walked back to the house as it began to rain. When he arrived home, he changed into dry clothes and patiently waited for Sadik. Once the older man came through the door, Heracles greeted him with a hug.

Laughing, Sadik asked him what had caused his sudden affection.

"You're my savior and I missed you," Heracles explained, holding onto him as his life depended on it. In a way, it did.

* * *

**AN: Sorry it took longer than usual and is a bit cheesy and rushed, but I managed to get a lot done today, so I'm still proud of this.**


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